Equipment

Jamie Sadlowski discusses his new Cleveland driver, WITB (2018 PGA Show Demo Day)

Published

8 years ago

Jan 23, 2018

Jamie Sadlowski, newly signed with Cleveland-Srixon, was on the range at Demo Day showcasing his refined golf swing that’s now made for professional golf, rather than the distance-first swing of his long-drive days.

We had the pleasure of spending some time with Jamie as he took us through his bag from top-to-bottom. He also spoke about his new swing changes, and he described what’s different about Tour life versus the long drive tour.

See all of our photos from the 2018 PGA Show Demo Day.

Cleveland Launcher HB (10.5 degrees, turned to 7.25 degrees)

Jamie says: “We’ll start with the driver, the Cleveland Launcher HB driver, with 7.25 degrees of loft. It’s the standard head, everything you can buy off the shelf. Everything’s bent a little open, just to take loft off. Obviously being a high-speed player with a high launch driver, I’ve taken launch down. With the Nunchuk shaft, 45 inches, I believe the swing weight’s D5 on this. Just very stable, not much curvature, kills a lot of spin. I’ve been in that shaft for 5 or 6 years now, and haven’t been able to get away from it, just for me it loads real good. Can’t get out of it, cannot get out of it.”

Srixon Z-U65 and Z-965 irons

Jamie says: “Then I work into the UT, it’s actually a 16-degree, so 18 turned down to 16 degrees. I believe finished its 40.5 inches with the 105X prototype tipped 2 inches. Pretty stout. That’s kinda like my acting 3 wood.

Then from there I go into a 3-iron UT 20-degrees, X7 shaft. Standard loft. 1 degree flat. Swing weights on all my irons are D3 I believe, maybe D4. Then I play 4 iron thru wedge in the 965s. Again, all X700’s. 46-degree pitching wedge.”

Cleveland RTX-3 wedges

Jamie says: “Then from there I go into a 53-degree RTX-3 gap wedge, pretty standard grind, 10 degrees of bounce. Then we roll into the 56 degree, again RTX-3, 8 degrees of bounce, pretty standard stuff. All three of these wedges here are X100s, then the 60-degree I have them kinda put a C-grind on it, just because it makes them a little more versatile. I don’t carry anything higher than a 60-degree just because… I honestly don’t need it. With that grind I can kinda of turn it into whatever I want. All the stuff is obviously heavy, I believe the wedges go from D6 to D7 in the lob wedge.”

Why so much lead tape?

Jamie says: “The reason being I play a big grip, plus-4 midsize, so we lose a lot of swing points there. Obviously the irons don’t look as pretty as they should with all the lead tape, but that’s just what it takes to get ’em to proper swing weight.”

The Flatstick

Jamie says: “This is a Cameron Tour (prototype) Newport. Looks good.”

Toning down the swing speed

Jamie says: “I mean I’m not swinging 150 mph, I’m still swinging 135 mph, but to me that feels slow. So it’s controlled. There’s times when I need to hit a big shot, whether it’s need to make birdie on the last hole to make the cut, win the tournament, whatever you need. I know I have the power if I need it. There’s always an advantage to hitting it far when you’re hitting a pitching wedges versus guys hitting 6 irons. So I’m not looking to take away distance, but I’ve obviously refined it to where I can hit controlled shots with good ball flight and good spin numbers.”

Srixon Z-Star XV golf ball

Jamie says: “The XV golf ball has been a huge change for me. The ball combination with all the clubs, but especially with the driver is exceptional. I’ve always been a high-spin player and (the golf ball has) taken my ball flight down, even flighting wedges. I’m able to get to back pins now. The wind doesn’t affect the ball.”

Do you intimidate fellow Tour pros with your distance?

Jamie says: “I guess it depends. I just go there and play my game. If you’re playing on tour you’re going to go out there and play your own game. If I’m paired with an amateur who’s a 10-handicap, I’d say yea thats probably pretty intimidating when they’re hitting 3 woods to my 6 iron. But when I play tour events, I don’t think it affects anyone that much. If I’m hitting 5 iron in and they’re hitting 3 woods… there’s different ways to skin a cat. I just happen to hit it really far.”

Are you getting more comfortable out on Tour?

Jamie says: “After a full year of playing Mackenzie this year. I’ve gained a lot of confidence playing a full year and signing my name to a scorecard for once. Hopefully this year will be a big year with the swing changes I’ve made, I’m feeling more comfortable with them.”

Swing changes

Jamie says: “(I’m getting) the backswing a little more on plane. I’ve always been a little up and rolled to the inside and across the line and I’ve really fixed that. Got it more on plane going back, more on plane coming down. It ables me to hit more shots, versus that loopy little draw. So I’m able to cut it now, hit some hold shots into right, left winds, where I didn’t really have that shot. Flighting wedges, anything inside 150 yards is kinda where I spend most of my time now.”

See all of our photos from the 2018 PGA Show Demo Day.

Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

Published

16 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

Published

16 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

19 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.